Why John Corbett's Aidan Was Not in 'And Just Like That'

The Sex and the City HBO Max reboot, And Just Like That, kicked off in a "Big" way back in December with the death of Carrie Bradshaw's (Sarah Jessica Parker) husband, Mr. Big (Chris Noth). Many fans assumed that this left an opening for John Corbett to return as Carrie's other main man, Aidan Shaw. 

Corbett told Page Six back in April 2021 that he'd be reprising his role as the lovable furniture maker, but with And Just Like That's finale airing Thursday, fans didn't even get a glimmer of hope when it came to Carrie's former squeeze. 

So where was Aidan?

"John Corbett should be writing personal apology notes. We didn’t say anything," And Just Like That writer Julie Rottenberg tells Deadline in a new Q&A, referencing the actor's claims he'd be in the show. 

Does that mean that Aidan doesn't have a future with the franchise? Not so fast. Aidan was last seen kissing Carrie in Abu Dhabi in Sex and the City 2. 

"No, there’s nothing old news about Sarah Jessica Parker and John Corbett as actors and beings and interests," showrunner Michael Patrick King says. 

Fan speculation surrounding Carrie's love life went wild following Mr. Big's death, with people even considering Miranda's ex-husband, Steve Brady (David Eigenberg), as a potential romantic partner for Carrie thanks to Parker and Eigenberg's on-screen chemistry in a few scenes toward the end of the reboot's first season. 

"The fact of the matter is, we never said anything about Aidan, just like we never said, Steve and Carrie are getting together," King adds, noting that a Carrie-Steve romance "might be a shoe too far for us."

"We always try to be very restrained and look at the reality of what people are experiencing and it has nothing to do with Aidan coming or not coming," King adds of Carrie's storyline. "It really just felt like this was a lot for Carrie. This season was a lot. We wanted to get her through this and into the light — the last episode is called, 'Seeing the Light.' We wanted to get her out. [Aidan’s return] is a big storyline that everybody at home wrote that we had never intended."

The season 1 finale of And Just Like That sees Carrie sharing a passionate make-out session with her new podcast producer, Franklyn (Ivan Hernandez), in an elevator. King says the fans can't necessarily know if this could be the start of a longterm romance for Carrie or a quick fling. 

"That new thing happens out of nowhere and we wanted to show that that can happen literally when you least expect it and that it can be in your own backyard," he explains. "As classic as that storyline is, he was there the whole time and she couldn’t see him. Now, who knows? What happened behind that door and what happens next? We don’t know yet."

And to continue Carrie's storyline means there would have to be a second season to the show. Though nothing has been confirmed just yet, King seems confident that fans could see more of Carrie and Co. 

"We’re having conversations right now between us about the storylines with the actors and with the network," King says. "I mean, it’s a very alive franchise — let’s just say that."

All episodes of And Just Like That are currently streaming on HBO Max. For more on the show, check out the video below.

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